Incubator 2.0

The shorter the duration of the pregnancy, the greater the risk that a child may die shortly after birth or survive with minor or serious disabilities. In the Netherlands, two to four babies out of 1000 are born prematurely each year, after 22 to 26 weeks of pregnancy. Extremely premature infants born after at least 24 weeks of pregnancy are cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit in an incubator. When treating such infants, the risk of the development of chronic lung disease (bronchopulmonary dysplasia) is a major concern. This is expected to change with the introduction of technology that mimics the situation in the womb, therefore allowing the lungs to mature longer.